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Last Updated: Saturday, 30 September 2006, 17:41 GMT 18:41 UK >
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Vietnam braced for typhoon's fury
Typhoon damage in Manila, the Philippines>
The typhoon has already caused devastation in the Philippines
Vietnam has begun to evacuate more than 180,000 of its citizens ahead of Typhoon Xangsane, which has killed 61 people in the Philippines.

The typhoon is due to hit central Vietnam early on Sunday.

Civil defence agencies say nine of Vietnam's provinces are on alert, with fishing boats called back to port.

The Vietnamese government was criticised for being slow to react to a typhoon in May, says the BBC's correspondent in Hanoi.

Homes destroyed

Then, more than 200 fishermen were killed because fishing vessels had not been warned of the approaching storm.

Path of typhoon>
Authorities in central Quang Ngai province said they were evacuating thousands of people inland out of danger.

"The wind is getting stronger and stronger here, we expect the storm to make landfall late tonight or very early tomorrow morning," an official in the city of Danang said.

Vietnam Airlines said it was not allowing any domestic flights to take off. International flights will take alternative routes to avoid the storm.

Typhoon Xangsane, packing winds of up to 130km/h (80 mph), pounded central and northern Philippines earlier this week.

Hundreds of homes were destroyed, and floods have left many roads and bridges impassable. Dozens of people are still missing.

The typhoon was the strongest to hit the capital, Manila, in 11 years, weather officials said.

Government offices and schools in Manila remained closed on Friday as emergency crews worked to fix power lines and clear fallen debris.

Landslides

Xangsane was "one of the worst devastations that Manila has experienced," the city's Mayor, Lito Atienza, told local radio.

President Gloria Arroyo held an emergency meeting with energy and civil defence officials, and ordered a speedy restoration of basic services.

Some of those killed included a man who fell into a river in central Antique province, and a man hit by a falling tree in Albay province.

Many other people are missing in the town of General Trias where an irrigation dyke collapsed, a local official told the Associated Press news agency.

More than 60,000 people have reportedly been affected by the aftermath of the typhoon - landslides, floods and wind damage to agriculture and infrastructure.
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SEE ALSO
Philippines pounded by typhoon
> 28 Sep 06Ê|Ê Asia-Pacific
Timeline: The Philippines
> 24 Aug 06Ê|Ê Country profiles
Country profile: The Philippines
> 07 Apr 06Ê|Ê Country profiles
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